New Delhi

Celebrity chef Vikas Khanna says being named to the Time 100 List 2026 is not just a personal honour, but a milestone for India and Indian cuisine.

Calling himself a proud “curry boy”, Khanna said the phrase—once used as a slur against South Asians in the West—has now become a badge of honour.

“This is a very big moment for India,” Khanna told PTI from New York City, where he runs the acclaimed restaurant Bungalow.

Khanna appears on the list alongside names such as Ranbir Kapoor, Sundar Pichai, Neal Mohan, Zohran Mamdani, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

Khanna said he learned of the recognition on March 23, the birthday of his late sister Radhika Khanna, making the moment especially emotional.

Reflecting on prejudice faced by Indians abroad, he said many children once mocked the smell of curry in immigrant homes. “Now a curry boy gets to be on the stage where just a few selected people on the planet have walked,” he said.

In Khanna’s profile for Time, celebrated chef Eric Ripert praised him as a man of extraordinary generosity whose work extends beyond the kitchen. He described Bungalow as more than a restaurant—“a living expression of storytelling.”

Khanna, who previously ran Junoon, said he has always felt responsible for advancing Indian cuisine globally. He recalled being told years ago that Indian food lagged internationally because many star chefs spent more time in media than in their kitchens.

That advice changed his approach. “Running a restaurant is not running a YouTube channel,” he said, adding that guests ultimately judge the integrity of a dish.

Born in Amritsar, Khanna said he is encouraged by a new generation of Indian chefs helping modernise and globalise the cuisine.

He also expressed gratitude to his family, especially his mother, saying four generations contributed to his success. He hopes to return to India with her during Diwali.

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Khanna has also written cookbooks and directed the Hindi film The Last Colour starring Neena Gupta. His next project is Imaginary Rain featuring Shabana Azmi and Prateik Smita Patil, with music by A. R. Rahman.